I have a 8 month old German shepherd/collie puppy!  Over the past two months, she occasionally (nnot very often, and out of the blue), begins to shake in either her front right leg or front left leg.
This only occurs for a few seconds and she does not appear irritated or alarmed by it.
It is not after excercise or standing for long periods either....it is just completley out of the blue that it happens!
Any one have any ideas what could be causing it?
Thought about taking her to vets..but I dont want to drag her reluctantly there if its not serious!
Any advice appreciated.  Thanks

The only way to get a correct diagnosis is to take her to the vet! Nobody can advise you over the internet, a vet would need to examine your dog.

Any health matter needs to be directed to your vet as you don't know if it is serious until you have a professional opinion on it!

Hi Emma,

There are many dogs that have a quiver or tremble in their legs for which a cause has never been identified.  Is this what you mean by shake?

In some cases it can be a sign of pain, i.e. muscle spasms.  In others it can be a sign of a nervous disorder. Or it can simply be incomplete mylenization of the nerve sheaths.
Sometimes it can be an affect of excitement, exercise or tenseness. 

BTW, this is not a diagnosis, just a few ideas for you to ponder over while you take her to the vet.  Good Luck. :-)

PS - In cases where these things are intermittent, it can be a good idea if you have a camcorder to take a video of her when it's happening to help the vet. ;-)

My dog has this on very odd occasions also.  Mainly when he is either desperate for a wee, or is sat by the roadside, waiting to cross at the start of his walk.  Would this be excitement?  It only lasts for a minute at the most, and I've only seen it twice in the 6 months we've had him.

My puppys shakes are just that....her leg will just shake (bit like a tremor), for no more than a few seconds!
Shes not alerted by it, nor in any evident pain or discomfort.
I will take her to get it checked professionally....video recorder good idea, thankyou

It may just be that the position that your dog is sitting or standing in has trapped a nerve. A bit like a twitch that we get sometimes. If your worried then consult the vet.

Keeley, I would say that yours sounds quite normal and is almost certainly excitement and anticipation of what the next corner may hold if he/she is doing it at the roadside!

Thankyou for everyones replies....will take my little one to the vets!